facebook | here i am

I obviously love social media, as I write daily to share my life and to connect with you. I love that I have a platform where we can share ideas and learn from one another, and I love when you click the like button or actually take the time to submit your name and email address and leave a comment, which takes 10 seconds at least and you’re busy, I know, which makes me appreciate you even more. When you write, I see you. I love this part of writing. I don’t really see you, but I see that you liked something that I shared and you validated me and I get to think of you. It’s kind of a cool virtual exchange that means something to me. Thank you for that.

I don’t typically promote my blog, but last night I decided to link my post to my Facebook page, because I was proud of my parents and wanted others who might not know that I write, to have a chance to meet them via my writing.

65 people clicked on my link from Facebook and maybe they even read it. I was impressed that this many people were curious and took the time to venture over to a new window to check out my blog. Thank you!

On my personal Facebook wall, 82 friends liked my post and 7 friends left a comment and 3 friends shared my link. Can I just tell you how good this feels? You like me. I like you. I love us!!

One friend tonight mentioned that she didn’t click “like” on my status because she saw so many other people had already liked it and didn’t think it would make a difference whether she clicked or not, because she said there were already so many likes and what is one more.

I told her that I look at every name that shows up on my screen and think of each person individually. I literally do.

I see the 3 most recent friends that liked what I shared and a link that says “and 79 others.” I click the link to the 79 others and read through each name on the list and think and pray for each of those who chose to connect with me. My prayer is a moment to remember you and to think of something positive about you and I am grateful that we had a shared moment, even if it is just through social media.

We live busy lives and sometimes we live far away from each other, but we find ways to connect however we can and make the world a better place because of the love and likeness we share for each other. That’s a good thing.

So thank you, for reading and sharing and posting and loving and living it up, every day, BeLoveRs! xoxo

I love facebook and social media. I love learning and connecting and knowing what people are doing and thinking about and am curious about what they share and why they share what they share and how they’re feeling. I love people and I love that sometimes what others share inspires me and opens up my world to thoughts and ideas and feelings I might not have come across.

I can get lost in the connections that come from one post, that link me to a cool article, that links me to a brilliant author, that brings me to a personal website or blog or pinterest to see their interests and I want to know more, and then back to scrolling through facebook status updates again. This probably happens every day. Does this happen to you?

My favorite thoughts this week were sparked from a facebook status update posted by Cassia Cogger. She shared a link to the Good Life Project that was started by Jonathan Fields and I’m just in awe. This guy gets it. And the stories he is sharing, especially the one from Christina Rasmussen today, are the golden tickets. She talks about how to reclaim your life after experiencing loss, and how everyone experiences loss. She is brilliant. You’ll want to check out her beautiful soul, and leave the “waiting room” as soon as possible. I love when people can use beautiful, simple words and imagery to really describe our experiences that we don’t always know how to label.

My other favorite link I discovered this week came from a facebook status update from one of my Stella & Dot connections. She shared a link to an article posted on the Good Men Project blog about 25 Rules for Moms with Sons that was brilliant too. I hand wrote all her rules down, because when I write with a pen the information somehow seems to feel more important and the process of writing helps me to really think about the words more deeply. She has so many good tips to share and I’ve already started practicing some of these with my sons. Take a peek.

And I’ll leave you with a quote from Tabitha Studer’s rules about teaching your son to read that made me wonder and maybe understand why it is I keep writing every night. Thanks for sharing the journey and reading along with me. I hope you feel inspired and connected too. xo

“…writing words down is a way to be present forever. Writers are transcribers of history and memories. They keep a record of how we lived at that time; what we thought was interesting; how we spoke to each other; what was important. And Readers help preserve and pass along those memories.”